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Founded in 1913 as Bakersfield Junior College, the school was initially housed on the campus of Bakersfield High School (then Kern County Union High School). In 1947, the school dropped "Junior" from its name.[2] In 1956, Bakersfield College moved to its current location "on the hill" in northeast Bakersfield on the "Panorama Bluffs" that overlook the prolific Kern River oil field.[3][4]

The main campus is located on a 153-acre (62 ha) plot in Northeast Bakersfield, and it also operates three satellite campuses: the Weill Institute in downtown Bakersfield, shared by the Kern Community College District, the SouthWest Campus also located in Bakersfield, and the Delano Campus in Delano, California, approximately 35 miles (56 km) north of Bakersfield.

The Renegade Rip is the student-run newspaper within the journalism department at BC. Published biweekly, The Rip currently has a circulation of approximately 4,000. An online edition is also available. The Rip is a regular contender and recipient of JACC (Journalism Association of Community Colleges) awards at both the state and regional levels and in 2003-2004 won the Associated Collegiate Press National Pacemaker Award. They are a member of the Journalism Association of Community Colleges and compete in the Southern California region.

Rip reporters and photographers cover the campus. The students cover topics ranging from crime on campus, to student profiles, sports and local entertainment. The tradition of The Renegade Rip has always been to chase news stories and focus on what affects the student body at BC and the community of Bakersfield as a whole.